As it went in, as much thanks to Honduras freezing in the spotlight as to rapier Brazilian attacking, those outside in the searing lunchtime heat cursed the queues, the security checks and that extra ten minutes they had in bed.

Because moments like this were what they’d signed up for, moments that are what sport in Rio de Janeiro is all about — the temple of temples rammed and raucous, samba beats, sunshine and O Selecao strutting like they’re born to do.

But wait. Neymar’s still down. They hold their breath as an army of physios hurtle on, then roar with relief as he’s lifted gingerly back to his feet.

He jogs towards halfway, then crumples again. A hush descends as this time doctors and paramedics arrive.

The boy was everywhere, dropping deep to take the ball off defenders and start attacks, peeling wide to tease blue-and-white-striped shirts with his snake hips and dancing feet and coming in off the flank to conjure passes that defenders could not have read had they been carrying a Kindle each.

Off him flitted the elegant Luan, the stocky Gabriel Barbosa, linked with a £30million move to Mourinho’s United — and, most effective of all, Gabriel Jesus, the 19-year-old owned by Manchester City but loaned back to Palmeiras.

Then the Barca superstar curls a free-kick from 30 yards that Luis juggles round his right-hand post, then another that swishes the wrong side of the right-hand post. Neymar doing a soft-shoe shuffle past three defenders before stinging the keeper’s palms.

Then, after Luan taps in his second to top off a break by Barbosa and Filipe Anderson that went from languid to lightning in three seconds, Neymar finishes it all off with a last-minute penalty, shimmying and stuttering before putting poor Luis the wrong way.

Marquinhos was also on target for the hosts as they charged to the final

This was all the Maracana cariocas had wanted. This was all Brazil full stop had wanted, right from the start, something huge and communal and inimitably Brazilian to celebrate.

Here and now, all the hassles the Olympics have brought to Rio didn’t matter, the transport chaos, the political strife and the crime didn’t matter, the debt they’ll be lumbered with when the circus leaves didn’t matter.

All they cared about was the beautiful game, on a beautiful day, in its beautiful spiritual home. Well, that and a ticket for Saturday teatime’s final.